Heavy-duty portable crane



July 10, 1945. o. R. PETERSON 2,380,069

HEAVY DUTY PORTABLE CRANE Filed Sept 18, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l LINVENTOR BY Osbar-RayaiwdPeiarsou y 0, 5- 0. R. PETERSON. N v 2,380,069

HEAVY'DU'iY PORTABLE CRANE Filed Sept. 18, 1943-. -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ikg.2

Q INVENTOR Oscar Raymond Pe Zerson HTTYS time July 10, 1945 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE HEAVY-DUTY PORTABLE CRANE Oscar Raymond Peterson,Peoria, 111., assignor to R. G. Le Tourncau, Inc., Stockton, Calif., acor- Doration of California Application September 18, 1943, Serial No.502913 wheels H at the ends'of said housing; the body 8 Claims.

.This invention is directed to an improved heavy duty portable crane ofthe type which is wheel supported and self-propelled.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a portable cranewhich is very stable when in useand is capable of lifting extremelyheavy oads.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crane, of the typedescribed, which includes a counterbalancing weight movable lengthwisealong the boom supporting body; such weight being advanced when thecrane is in use and retracted toward the rear wheels when the crane isbeing transported from place to place.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a heavy duty cranein which the boom is mounted for horizontal adjustment in a manner tovary the reach of said boom without inaterially altering the heightthereof.

A further obiect of the invention is to Produce a simple; inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effectiv for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved crane..

V Figure 2-is an enlarged fragmentary rear end view of the crane.

7 Figure 3 is an enlargedfragmentary plan view showing th rearwheeltruck and adjacent body portion.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section on line H of Fi ure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan of the body or centralbeam of thecrane. I

Referring now mor particularly to the characters of reference. on thedrawings, the crane comprises a horizontal, elongated body l of rigidbox beam construction, and this body is formed at its forward end with aforwardly opening yoke 2 having vertically spaced legs 3 and 4 connectedwith the rear end of a two-wheel tractor 5 by a coupling means shown inpart at 6; the yoke and tractor being connected in vertically inflexiblebut horizontally swiveling relation whereby the tractor is steerablerelative to body being attached to housing Ill centrally of its ends,and the .assembly being braced as at it.

An elongated heavy duty boom it, of skeleton construction, is normallydisposed at an upward and rearward incline from connection with bodyintermediate the ends of the latter and adjacent the forward end; theboom projecting rearwardly to a termination at its upper end at a pointsome distance to the rear of wheels M. Intermediate its ends the boom I3is supported by an upstanding post unit which includes transverselyspaced posts l4 rigidly secured together by cross members IS. The lowerends of the posts are pivotally and detachably connected to andsupported by rear axle housing II] as at It, while the upper end of theposts are pivotally connected to corresponding portions of the boom asat IT. As so mounted the postunit is swingable lengthwise of theimplement.

The lower end of boom is is connected to extend thru said plates andmatching holes 2| formed in sets along the body and thru lateral topflanges 22 thereof. Lips 23 on opposite sides of plate It engagecorresponding edges oftop flanges 22 and maintain such plate againstlateral displacement. I

By adjusting the plate I8 to different positions along body l, the reachof the boo is correspondingly varied without materiall its height; thepost unit swinging forwardly or rearwardly as the boom is adjusted.

When the crane is to be transported from place to place, the plate l8 isset at the forward end of body l and pivotal connections it arereleased, whereupon the post unit is folded forwardly. This permits theboom l3 to be lowered to the position shown in. dotted lines in Figure1; such lowering movement being controlled by a block and tackle unit 2tconnected between the'top of yoke Z and v an adjacent point on the boom.This block and I. The tractor 5 includes transversely spaced supportingand drive wheels I, a forwardly pro.-

, jeeting ground overhanging frame 8 on which transversely extendingazle housing l0 and tackle unit is connected to and actuated by one drumof an operator controlled two drum power control unit 25 mounted on therear of tractor 5. When the boom is in lowered or transport position itis supported by rests 26 upstanding from the rear axle housing H).

A heavy duty counterweight 2'! of substantially U shape transversely ofthe implement and of considerable length, is disposed horizontal withthe body extending therethru as shown in Figure 4. This counterweight issupported from the body I :by means of front and back rollers 28 whichride on the laterally extending bottom flanges 29 of said body.

altering When the crane is in use, the counterweight 21 is positionedadjacent the forward end of body I, and is moved to the opposite endadjacent wheels II when the implement is being moved from one job toanother. The counter- Weight is shifted along the body I by means of ahand actuated winch 30 mounted on the rear axle housing l and whichwinch is connected with a pull cable 3|. To retract the counterweightthe pull cable 3| is connected to an eye 32 on the rear end of saidcounterweight, while to advance the latter said cable iscarried.forward, engaged about a direction changing pulley 33, andthence extended rearwardly to connection with an eye 34, on the front,end of said counterweight. The winch actuated cable 3| may also beattached to the boom adjacent its lower end whereby, in cooperation withthe block and tackle unit 24, to control said boom for adjustment of thelongitudinal position of plate I 8 along body I r; The main liftingcable of the crane is indicated at 35 and extends from a drum of thepower control unit in sheave guided relation upwardly and thencerearwardly thu, and to the outer end of the boom l3. At said outer end,cable passes over a swinging sheave block 36, depends downward to andabout the pulley of a crane hook 31, and then extends upward to a deadend connection on the housing of sheave block 38.

The gauge of the wheels I l is variable whereby a relatively wide gaugecan be had when the crane is in use and to provide great lateral stablity; such variance in gauge being accomplished .by means as shown, forexample in copending application, Serial No. 533,550, filed May 1, 1944.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the clined longitudinal boom, means arranged toreleasably secure the lower end of said boom selectivelyat differentpoints along the body adjacent one end thereof, and an upstanding postunit mounted on the body adjacent the other.

end and supporting the boom intermediate its ends, said post; unit beingpivotally mounted for swinging movement lengthwise of the implement;

, the body comprising a substantially horizontal beam, and said meansincluding a base plate 4. A portable crane comprising an elongated bodydisposed above the ground and wheel supported, a boom mountedinponnection with the body adjacent one end portion thereof and thenceextending lengthwise at an upward incline" to a termination in a planebeyond the other end portion of the body,v a counterbalancing weight,and means mounting said weight on the body for movement between said endportions of the latter, said bod being a beam having laterallyprojecting bottom flanges, the weight being of U shape transversely ofthe implement and the beam extending thru the weight, and rollers ridingsaid flanges and suspending the weight therefrom.

5. A crane comprising a longitudinally extended body, a boom mounted atits lower end on the body for sliding movement along the length of thebody, such boom inclining upwardly over and along the body, means toslide the boom longitudinally of the body, means to selectively sec theboom at different points along its line of tra el on the body, and anupstanding post unit mounted on the body and supporting the boom in itsinclined position, such unit being swingable in a plane lengthwise ofthe body with the sliding movement of the boom along such body.

6. A crane comprising a longitudinally extended body, a base plateslidable along the length of the body, means to selectively secure theplate at different points along its line of travel on the body, a boommounted on the plate and inclining upwardly over and along the body, andan upstanding post unit mounted on the body and supporting the boom inits inclined position, such unit being swingable in a plane lengthwiseof the body with the sliding movement of the plate along such body;there being power means connected with the boom adjacent the plate foreffecting the sliding movement of the plate.

'7. A portable crane comprising an extended body, wheels supporting thebody at its rear end,

a propelling tractor supporting the body at its forward end, a boommounted on the body at a point between the rear wheels and the tractor,

such boom when in use inclining upwardly, over and along the body andbeing adapted when not in use-to be lowered to rest substantiallylengthwise on the b'ody, a counter-weight movable along the body, andmeans to move the counter, weight to a position adjacent the tractorwhen the boom is in use and to a point adjacent the rear wheels when theboom is lowered to rest lengthwise on the body.

8. A crane comprising a longitudinally ex tended body, a boom mounted atits lower end resting on and adapted to be secured at said differentpoints,

2. 'A crane as in claim 1 in which the base plate includes guide lips onopposite sides depending in cooperative relation to correspondingspending edges of said top flanges.

'selectively secure the boom at different points along its line oftravel'on the body, and an up-, standing post unit mounted on the bodyand supporting the boom in its inclined position, such unitbeing-swingable in a plane lengthwise of the body with the slidingmovement of the boom along such body. I I

oscAa RAYMOND PETERSON.

